rl.thebourneultimatum-第112章

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　they　got　theyselves　a　pile　of　fancy　crap。　。。。　So　clear　the　line　and　reroute　it。　I'll　stay　here　until　I　get　a　clean　signal；　okay；　brother？〃
　The　agent　again　turned　away　from　the　door　and　again　breathed；　now　in　relief。　He　could　leave　without　a　confrontation；　he　had　all　he　needed。　One　Hundred　Thirty…eighth　Street；　section　twelve；　machine　sixteen；　and　they　knew　the　firm　that　installed　the　equipment。　The　Reco…Metropolitan　pany；　Sheridan　Square；　New　York。　The　lily…whites　could　handle　it　from　there。　He　walked　back　to　the　questionable　staircase　and　lifted　the　collar　of　his　army…surplus　shirt。　〃In　case　I　get　run　over　by　a　truck；　here's　the　input。　Are　you　reading　me？〃
　〃Loud　and　clear；　Emperor　Jones。〃
　〃It's　machine　sixteen　in　what　they　call　section　twelve。〃
　〃Got　it！　You've　earned　your　paycheck。〃
　〃You　might　at　least　say；　'Outstanding；　old　chap。'　〃
　〃Hey；　you're　the　guy　who　went　to　college　over　there；　not　me。〃
　〃Some　of　us　are　overachievers。　。。。　Hold　it！　I've　got　pany！〃
　Below　on　the　bottom　of　the　staircase　a　small　pact　black　man　appeared；　his　dark　eyes　bulging；　staring　up　at　the　agent；　a　gun　in　his　hand。　The　CIA　man　spun　behind　the　edge　of　the　wall　as　four　successive　gunshots　shattered　the　corridor。　Lunging　across　the　open　space；　his　revolver　ripped　from　its　holster；　the　agent　fired　twice；　but　once　was　enough。　His　assailant　fell　to　the　floor　of　the　soiled　lobby。
　〃I　caught　a　ricochet　in　my　leg！〃　cried　the　agent。　〃But　he's　down…deep　dead　or　not　I　can't　tell。　Sweep　up　the　vehicle　and　get　us　both　out。　Pronto。〃
　〃On　its　way。　Stay　put！〃
　It　was　shortly　past　eight　o'clock　the　next　morning　when　Alex　Conklin　limped　into　Peter　Holland's　office。　The　guards　at　the　CIA　gates　were　impressed　with　his　immediate　access　to　the　director。
　〃Anything？〃　asked　the　DCI；　looking　up　from　the　papers　on　his　desk。
　〃Nothing；〃　answered　the　retired　field　officer　angrily；　heading　for　the　couch　against　the　wall　rather　than　a　chair。　〃Not　a　goddamned　thing。　Jesus；　what　a　fucked…up　day　and　it　hasn't　even　begun！　Casset　and　Valentino　are　down　in　the　cellars　sending　out　queries　all　over　the　Paris　sewers　but　so　far　nothing。　。。。　Christ；　look　at　the　scenario　and　find　me　a　thread！　Swayne；　Armbruster；　DeSole…our　mute　son　of　a　bitch；　the　mole。　Then　for　God's　sake；　Teagarten　with　Bourne's　calling　card；　when　we　know　damned　well　it's　a　trap　for　Jason　set　by　the　Jackal。　But　there's　no　logic　anywhere　that　ties　Carlos　to　Teagarten　and　by　extension　to　Medusa。　Nothing　makes　sense；　Peter。　We've　lost　the　spine…everything's　gone　off　the　wire！〃
　〃Calm　down；〃　said　Holland　gently。
　〃How　the　hell　can　I？　Bourne's　disappeared…I　mean　really　disappeared；　if　he　isn't　dead。　And　there's　no　trace　of　Marie；　no　word　from　her；　and　then　we　learn　that　Bernardine　was　killed　in　a　shoot…out　only　hours　ago　on　the　Rivoli…Christ；　shot　in　broad　daylight！　And　that　means　Jason　was　there…he　had　to　be　there！〃
　〃But　since　none　of　the　dead　or　wounded　fits　his　description；　we　can　assume　he　got　away；　can't　we？〃
　〃We　can　hope；　yes。〃
　〃You　asked　for　a　thread；〃　mused　the　DCI。　〃I'm　not　sure　I　can　actually　provide　one；　but　I　can　give　you　something　like　it。
　〃New　York？〃　Conklin　sat　forward　on　the　couch。　〃The　answering　machine？　That　DeFazio　hood　in　Brooklyn　Heights？〃
　〃We'll　get　to　New　York；　to　all　of　that…them。　Right　now　let's　concentrate　on　that　thread　of　yours；　that　spine　you　mentioned。〃
　〃I'm　not　the　slowest　kid　on　the　block；　but　where　is　it？〃
　Holland　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　gazing　first　at　the　papers　on　his　desk　and　then　up　at　Alex。　〃Seventy…two　hours　ago；　when　you　decided　to　e　clean　with　me　about　everything；　you　said　that　the　idea　behind　Bourne's　strategy　was　to　persuade　the　Jackal　and　this　latter…day　Medusa　to　join　forces；　with　Bourne　as　the　mon　target；　one　feeding　the　other。　Wasn't　that　basically　the　premise？　Both　sides　wanted　him　killed。　Carlos　had　two　reasons…revenge　and　the　fact　that　he　believes　Bourne　could　identify　him；　the　Medusans　because　Bourne　had　pieced　together　so　much　about　them？〃
　〃That　was　the　premise；　yes；〃　agreed　Conklin；　nodding。　〃It's　why　I　dug　around　and　made　those　phone　calls；　never　expecting　to　find　what　I　did。　Jesus；　a　global　cartel　born　twenty　years　ago　in　Saigon；　peopled　by　some　of　the　biggest　fish　in　and　out　of　the　government　and　the　military。　It　was　the　kind　of　pay　dirt　I　didn't　want　and　wasn't　looking　for。　I　thought　I　might　dig　up　maybe　ten　or　twelve　hotshot　millionaires　with　post…Saigon　bank　accounts　that　couldn't　bear　scrutiny；　but　not　this；　not　this　Medusa。〃
　〃To　put　it　as　simply　as　possible；〃　continued　Holland；　frowning；　his　eyes　again　straying　down　to　the　papers　in　front　of　him；　then　up　at　Alex。　〃Once　the　connection　was　made　between　Medusa　and　Carlos；　word　would　be　passed　to　the　Jackal　that　there　was　a　man　Medusa　wanted　eliminated；　and　cost　was　no　object。　So　far；　yes？〃
　〃The　key　here　was　the　caliber　and　the　status　of　those　reaching　Carlos；〃　explained　Conklin。　〃They　had　to　be　as　close　to　bona　fide　Olympians　as　we　could　find；　the　kind　of　clients　the　Jackal　doesn't　get　and　never　got。〃
　〃Then　the　name　of　the　target　is　revealed…say；　in　a　way　such　as　'John　Smith；　once　known　years　ago　as　Jason　Bourne'…and　the　Jackal　is　hooked。　Bourne；　the　one　man　he　wants　dead　above　all　others。〃
　〃Yes。　That's　why　the　Medusans　reaching　Carlos　had　to　be　so　solid；　so　above　questioning　that　Carlos　accepts　them　and　dismisses　any　sort　of　a　trap。〃
　〃Because；〃　added　the　CIA's　director；　〃Jason　Bourne　came　out　of　Saigon's　Medusa…a　fact　known　to　Carlos…but　he　never　shared　in　the　riches　of　the　later；　postwar　Medusa。　That's　the　background　scenario；　isn't　it？〃
　〃The　logic's　as　clean　as　it　can　be。　For　three　years　he　was　used　and　damn　near　killed　in　a　black　operation；　and　along　the　way　he　supposedly　discovered　that　more　than　a　few　undistinguished　Saigon　pricks　were　driving　Jaguars　and　were　sailing　yachts　and　pulling　down　six…figure　retainers　while　he　went　on　a　government　pension。　That　could　try　the　patience　of　John　the　Baptist；　to　say　nothing　of　Barabbas。〃
　〃It's　a　terrific　libretto；〃　allowed　Holland；　a　slow　smile　breaking　across　his　face。　〃I　can　hear　the　tenors　soaring　in　triumph　and　the　Machiavellian　bassos　slinking　offstage　in　defeat。　。。。　Don't　scowl　at　me；　Alex；　I　mean　it！　It's　really　ingenious。　It's　so　inevitable　it　became　a　self…fulfilling　prophecy。〃
　〃What　the　hell　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃Your　Bourne　was　right　from　the　beginning。　It　all　took　place　the　way　he　saw　it；　but　not　in　any　way　he　could　have　imagined。　Because　it　was　inevitable；　somewhere　there　had　to　be　a　cross…pollinator。〃
　〃Please　e　down　from　Mars　and　explain　to　an　earthling；　Peter。〃
　〃Medusa's　using　the　Jackal！　Now。　Teagarten's　assassination　proves　it　unless　you　want　to　concede　that　Bourne　actually　blew　up　that　car　outside　of　Brussels。〃
　〃Of　course　not。〃
　〃Then　Carlos's　name　had　to　surface　for　someone　in　Medusa　who　already　knew　about　Jason　Bourne。　It　couldn't　be　otherwise。　You　didn't　mention　either　one　to　Armbruster；　or　Swayne；　or　Atkinson　in　London；　did　you？〃
　〃Again；　of　course　not。　The　time　wasn't　right；　we　weren't　ready　to　pull　those　triggers。〃
　〃Who's　left？〃　asked　Holland。
　Alex　stared　at　the　DCI。　〃Good　Lord；〃　he　said　softly。　〃DeSole？〃
　〃Yes；　DeSole；　the　grossly　underpaid　specialist　who　plained　amusingly　but　incessantly　that　there　was　no　way　a　man　could　properly　educate　his　children　and　grandchildren　on　government　pay。　He　was　brought　in　on　everything　we　discussed；　starting　with　your　assault　on　us　in　the　conference　room。〃
　〃He　certainly　was；　but　that　was　limited　to　Bourne　and　the　Jackal。　There　was　no　mention　of　Armbruster　or　Swayne；　no　Teagarten　or　Atkinson…the　new　Medusa　wasn't　even　in　the　picture。　Hell；　Peter；　you　didn't　know　about　it　until　seventy…two　hours　ago。〃
　〃Yes；　but　DeSole　did　because　he'd　sold　out；　he　was　part　of　it。　He　had　to　have　been　alerted。　'。。。　Watch　it。　We've　been　penetrated。　Some　maniac　says　he's　going　to　expose　us；　blow　us　apart。'　。。。　You　told　me　yourself　that　panic　buttons　were　punched　from　the　Trade　mission　to　Pentagon　Procurements　to　the　embassy　in　London。〃
　〃They　were　punched；〃　agreed　Conklin。　〃So　hard　that　two　of　them　had　to　be　taken　out　along　with　Teagarten　and　our　disgruntled　Mole。　Snake　Lady's　elders　quickly　decided　who　their　vulnerable　people　we